# std::numeric_limits<T>::min

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< cpp‎ | types‎ | numeric limits

Defined in header `<limits>` |  |
static T min() throw(); |  | (until C++11)
static constexpr T min() noexcept; |  | (since C++11)

Returns the minimum finite value representable by the numeric type `T`.

For floating-point types with denormalization, `min()` returns the minimum positive normalized value. Note that this behavior may be unexpected, especially when compared to the behavior of `min()` for integral types. To find the value that has no values less than it, use `lowest()`.(since C++11)

`min()` is only meaningful for bounded types and for unbounded unsigned types.

### Return value

`T` | std::numeric_limits<T>::min()
/* non-specialized */ | T()
bool | false
char | CHAR_MIN
signed char | SCHAR_MIN
unsigned char | ​0​
wchar_t | WCHAR_MIN
char8_t (since C++20) | ​0​
char16_t (since C++11) | ​0​
char32_t (since C++11) | ​0​
short | SHRT_MIN
unsigned short | ​0​
int | INT_MIN
unsigned int | ​0​
long | LONG_MIN
unsigned long | ​0​
long long (since C++11) | LLONG_MIN
unsigned long long (since C++11) | ​0​
float | FLT_MIN
double | DBL_MIN
long double | LDBL_MIN

### Example

Demonstrates the use with typedef types, and the difference in the sign of the result between integer and floating-point types:

Run this code

    #include <cstddef>
    #include <iomanip>
    #include <iostream>
    #include <limits>

    // we want to print char types as an integer without leading Fs
    auto p(auto x) { return x; }
    auto p(char x) { return x & static_cast<unsigned char>(-1); }

    template <typename T>
    void print_one(std::string_view type_name)
    {
        constexpr T min = std::numeric_limits<T>::min();

        std::cout
            << std::dec << std::defaultfloat << std::setw(14) << type_name
            << " (" << std::setw(2) << sizeof(T) << " bytes): " << +min;

        if constexpr (min != 0)
            std::cout << " or " << std::showbase << std::hex << std::hexfloat << p(min);

        std::cout << '\n';
    }

    #define SHOW(T) print_one<T>(#T)

    int main()
    {
        SHOW(bool);
        SHOW(char);
        SHOW(unsigned char);
        SHOW(short);
        SHOW(unsigned short);
        SHOW(signed);
        SHOW(unsigned);
        SHOW(std::ptrdiff_t);
        SHOW(std::size_t);
        SHOW(float);
        SHOW(double);
        SHOW(long double);
    }

Possible output:

              bool ( 1 bytes): 0
              char ( 1 bytes): -128 or 0x80
     unsigned char ( 1 bytes): 0
             short ( 2 bytes): -32768 or 0x8000
    unsigned short ( 2 bytes): 0
            signed ( 4 bytes): -2147483648 or 0x80000000
          unsigned ( 4 bytes): 0
    std::ptrdiff_t ( 8 bytes): -9223372036854775808 or 0x8000000000000000
       std::size_t ( 8 bytes): 0
             float ( 4 bytes): 1.17549e-38 or 0x1p-126
            double ( 8 bytes): 2.22507e-308 or 0x1p-1022
       long double (16 bytes): 3.3621e-4932 or 0x8p-16385

### See also

lowest [static] (C++11) | returns the lowest finite value of the given type, i.e. the most negative value for signed types, ​0​ for unsigned types (public static member function)
denorm_min [static] | returns the smallest positive subnormal value of the given floating-point type (public static member function)
max [static] | returns the largest finite value of the given type (public static member function)

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